HY 11/06: Chronic Heartburn? See Your Doctor!

Acid reflux can sometimes lead to cancer if left untreated

Most of us know what heartburn feels like—that searing sensation from breastbone to throat, sometimes with an acid taste. “Heartburn occurs when stomach contents back up into the esophagus after you’ve eaten,” says gastroenterologist Carl D’Angelo, M.D., of Lehigh Valley Hospital and Health Network.

Some 30 million people have heartburn at least twice a week, a chronic condition known as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Along with the burn, D’Angelo says, they may have less-common symptoms like non-cardiac chest pain, asthma or recurrent sinus or ear infections.

GERD can be traced to a malfunction in the valve separating the esophagus and stomach. When it’s working well, this valve prevents acids from flushing up into the esophagus and causing that burning feeling in the back of your throat.

GERD isn’t just a nuisance. Left untreated, it can become chronic and severe—and that may raise the risk for a condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which can progress to a type of esophageal cancer (adenocar-cinoma). If you think you have GERD, see your doctor. Treatment usually includes diet changes and/or medication.

If you have long-standing GERD, your doctor can use an endoscope (a device that allows the doctor to view inside the gastrointestinal tract) to test for Barrett’s esophagus. “People with Barrett’s are closely monitored, so we can detect cancerous changes quickly,” D’Angelo says. They’re also encouraged to make lifestyle changes to reduce their cancer risk.

While the incidence of many cancers is declining, adenocarcinomas have been on the rise over the past 10-20 years, says D’Angelo’s colleague, radiation oncologist Clinton Leinweber, D.O. “To reduce your risk, see your doctor immediately if you have trouble or pain swallowing, poor appetite or unexplained weight loss,” he says. “It’s easy to attribute these symptoms to other things, but you should take them seriously.”